Ventura County once had one of the most strict campaign finance ordinances for county level races ($750), but in March the new Republican majority threw out the 20 year ordinance and allow for the county to use the statewide campaign limit of $5500.
www.vcstar.com/...
Ventura County supervisors voted 3-2 on Tuesday to repeal a local campaign finance ordinance first adopted 20 years ago to limit large contributions from a single source.
Over the past two decades, the rules set contribution limits, voluntary spending caps and reporting requirements for candidates vying for supervisor and countywide offices. Now, a new ordinance repealing those rules is set to take effect in 30 days.
Without its own ordinance, the county will default to state election law that allows much higher limits. County rules limit contributions to $750 per election while the state permits $5,500.
The board also dissolved the county’s campaign ethics commission. Most public comment opposed the change, but of course the Republican majority ignored that. The board had been 2 D, 2 R, 1 I since 2017 with Independent Linda Parks siding with Democrats on many issues. Parks termed out last year and was replaced by Republican Jeff Gorell who was funded by developers, oil companies and supported by a far-right church in Thousand Oaks. This is the first time Republicans have controlled the Ventura County Board of Supervisors in decades and with all three Republicans on the board being influenced by big oil and development, this new opportunity for huge individual donations to flow into races where said interests constantly fund Republicans.
There is a chance to flip the board back to Democratic control next year, though. GOP incumbent Kelly Long sits in a 62-35 Biden district that is now majority Hispanic and includes Camarillo, portions of Oxnard as well as Fillmore and Santa Paula. Democrats don’t have a candidate yet, but it already on the radar of local Democratic groups as the marquee local race in the March primary. I’ll be posting an update once Democrats have a candidate.